Q E A S

• Economist Nick Behrens from Australian Economic Advocacy Solutions (AEAS) independently analysed Neuron’s operations in Melbourne and concluded that Neuron e-scooters contributed $135.74 million in direct, indirect and enabled economic activity during the first 12 months of Melbourne’s e-scooter trial
• The report, which included analysis of data from Neuron’s operations and surveys of e-scooter riders, calculated the average Melbourne rider spends $65.97 per trip and 65% of trips result in a purchase; each e-scooter pumped $70,820 of direct, indirect and enabled spend into Melbourne’s local economy per year
• The report comes as global micromobility management platform Ride Report, publishes the latest data on the trial, with Melbourne ranked the number one city globally when it comes to e-scooter utilisation, surpassing larger and more established cities like Brisbane, Washington DC and Austin Texas 

New research from leading economist Nick Behrens of Australian Economic Advocacy Solutions (AEAS) has concluded that Neuron e-scooters contributed a massive $135.74 million in direct, indirect and enabled economic activity in the city during the first 12 months of Melbourne’s e-scooter trial. 

The AEAS Report, launched today, analysed operational data and a survey of close to 2000 riders from e-scooter operator Neuron Mobility to calculate the economic and environmental contribution of Neuron’s operations in Melbourne. It found 65% of all trips result in a purchase and the average Melbourne rider spends $65.97 at local businesses per trip. 

Asked where they spend their money, 37.9% of riders made a purchase at a hospitality venue, 29.7% made a purchase at a department store, supermarket or other retail store and 16.4% visited a recreational venue like a gym, movie theatre or event. The report determined that Neuron services contribute 11 cents in every $100 worth of economic activity in Melbourne. 

Neuron is estimated to have created and supported 800 Melbourne-based jobs during the first 12 months of the trial. AEAS forecast that this number will rise to 1296  jobs by 2026-27.

Neuron’s e-scooters are providing a viable alternative to cars, with the research finding that 44.7% of all trips replaced a car journey. It is estimated that there has been a reduction of 225.7 tonnes of CO₂ emissions from cars travelling on Melbourne roads with a saving of 869,135 car journeys. E-scooters, which are not impacted by congestion, have led to significant time-saving benefits resulting in an overall productivity estimate of an additional $3.38 million for Melbourne users.

The City of Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip have also benefited from the e-scooter program including an estimated saving of $1.29 million over 12 months in road and maintenance costs, and the Victorian Government has potentially saved up to $7.08 million in road maintenance costs each year. 

A full copy of the report can be accessed here.

I am extremely pleased to announce the Queensland Government have made a key decision to rebuild the Paradise Dam.

The Paradise Dam is in the Bundaberg region and was opened in 2005 with a capacity of 300,000 megalitres of water. Owing to dam safety concerns the dam wall was lowered last year to maintain structural integrity resulting in significant loss of overall capacity.  The Queensland Government have now made a very good decision to rebuild the dam wall to its original height. 

QEAS was engaged by Bundaberg Regional Council, Canegrowers and Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers to conduct detailed stakeholder consultation within the Bundaberg region with irrigators, supply chain businesses, community groups, and the Council. From this work QEAS assisted in economic analysis of future water demand estimates for the Paradise Dam.

Feedback from consultation sessions indicated that Paradise Dam was a critical issue for growers in the Bundaberg Region. In general, the Paradise Dam has provided for reliability and in turn water security that has created grower certainty that has underpinned confidence to invest and employ. 

According to the views of stakeholders, the potential of Bundaberg irrigated agriculture is enormous, serving as one of Australia’s major food bowls. Conversely the permanent loss of capacity of the Paradise Dam was described as a potential “economy killer” given that it is hugely important for Bundaberg growers. 

Key analysis indicated there would be an impact on the whole of the irrigated agriculture value chain including nurseries, sugar mills, transport operators, packaging providers, ports, planting and harvesting contractors, fuel distributors, fertiliser and chemical retailers, farm machinery retailers, irrigation equipment suppliers, and accountants and insurance brokers. 

Furthermore, if these businesses are impacted their employees would be, too, leading to a reduction in expenditure across the broader community as they will no longer be spending their wages. 

The overwhelming feedback indicated the requirement for the Government to rebuild it. Analysis clearly indicated the Queensland Government’s long-term economic benefit would outweigh the short-term financial cost of rebuilding the Paradise Dam. 

We are very proud of this work and the result it has achieved for Bundaberg growers.

AEAS is pleased to announce that it has been commissioned by the Australian Gas Industry Trust to analyse the employment and economic contribution of the Gas Industry Supply Chain to the Australian community. 

The importance of the Australian Gas Industry can only be fully understood when holistically considered across exploration, extraction, processing and supply to the Australian community and in turn the supply chain that supports these functions together with valuable role it plays for society and industry as an energy source for economic activity.

Decision makers are largely unaware of the considerable contribution that the entire supply chain makes to the Australian economy and employment due to an absence of accurate and timely estimates of its contribution.  The scope of this project will fill that void.  

In summary, the AEAS report will help Australians better understand the valuable contribution of the gas Industry to their community and why it should be supported. 

AEAS is very pleased to announce that one of its key clients, the City of Newcastle, has won a maximum $5 million grant under the Remanufacture NSW Grants Program for the establishment of a new $40 million regional Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to recycle waste glass, plastic, tyres and paper and cardboard in the Hunter Region.

AEAS was comprehensively involved in the grant’s success assisting the City of Newcastle with:

• An Economic Need Assessment for the Materials Recovery Facility;
• A comprehensive Market Sounding Exercise; and
• Completion of the application for the grant.

AEAS methodology underpinning its involvement was to demonstrate the commercial, economic, social, environment and political drivers for the proposed MRF in the Hunter Region.  More specifically, key aspects included:

• The economic demand and benefit of a MRF to the City of Newcastle and the Hunter Region; 
• The considerable environmental benefits arising from the diversion of materials from landfill and their processing into valuable recyclable products to meet buyer specifications; and
• Achievement of key recycling targets for both the Australian and New South Wales Governments.

The City of Newcastle is strongly committed to providing waste minimisation and recycling solutions to the community and ensuring the long-term sustainability of its waste management operations.  For this reason, AEAS is honoured to have played a key role in securing the necessary funding to see this important project get off the ground.

For further information:

https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/ground-breaking-recycling-projects-roll-out-across-nsw-0

https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/news/media-releases/2021/epamedia210809-ground-breaking-recycling-projects-to-roll-out-across-nsw